I have updated this since first publishing it in 2015, adding the last paragraph discussing Martha's possible Indiana origins.
There are too many ancestors, even relatively recent ancestors, who it seems nearly impossible to know anything about. Martha A. Brennan is one of those. I believe she came from Ireland, died young, perhaps even in childbirth. Her daughter was Lillian Davis (Stephenson), my great grandmother.
Martha was the first wife of William Davis, marrying him in Jefferson county, Iowa, 18 December 1862. The Davises had settled in that area, which explains why William married there. I'm not sure what lead Martha there. Their daughter, Lillian Evelyn Davis, was born 15 April 1864, Galesburg, Illinois. William Davis became a railroad worker, and perhaps got his start in that industry in Galesburg, which was a major railroad hub as the railroads expanded west across the Mississippi during that time. And perhaps Martha had family there as well. If Martha was from Ireland, she likely didn't come alone to live with strangers. She possibly had family around.
Thomas E. Brennan lived at Abingdon, near Galesburg, Illinois in the late 1800s. He was also a railroad worker. William Davis remarried to Artie Atkinson in 1870, also in Abingdon. William and Martha may have lived in the same place when Lillian was born. Now, Abingdon isn't a big place, and certainly not in 1870 either, so it doesn't seem likely that Thomas Brennan and Martha Brennan Davis would share a last name and location without being related. But even so, it is just speculation that they were related. But given the lack of actual facts, it is something to go on.
Family trees on Ancestry.com show that Thomas E. Brennan was born 1828 in Freshford, Kilkenny, Ireland to Lawrence and Mary (Butler) Brennan. He had siblings James, Nicholas, Margaret and Mary. But no Martha listed. The lives of Margaret and Mary are documented and they were not Martha. The lives of Nicholas and James are documented as well, and Martha wasn't their widow since they outlived her. Maybe she was a younger and forgotten sibling. Martha was probably born before 1844 to be mother in 1864. Perhaps a little late to be the daughter of Thomas' mother, Mary Butler Brennan, who was born around 1800. So perhaps she was a cousin or a niece. James was older than Thomas and could possibly be Martha's father. He had gone to England. Perhaps Martha came from England. The name Martha sounds more English than Irish as Martha wasn't a very common Irish name. But still just speculation.
I found Martha Brennamon listed in the 1860 census for Locust Grove Township, Jefferson county, Iowa, not far from William Davis. She was listed as a domestic for the Holmes family and her birthplace was shown as Indiana. Census mistakes are made, so maybe she was really from Ireland. But since I haven't found any positive connection to Ireland for her, this is yet another possibility that shouldn't be ignored.
There are too many ancestors, even relatively recent ancestors, who it seems nearly impossible to know anything about. Martha A. Brennan is one of those. I believe she came from Ireland, died young, perhaps even in childbirth. Her daughter was Lillian Davis (Stephenson), my great grandmother.
Martha was the first wife of William Davis, marrying him in Jefferson county, Iowa, 18 December 1862. The Davises had settled in that area, which explains why William married there. I'm not sure what lead Martha there. Their daughter, Lillian Evelyn Davis, was born 15 April 1864, Galesburg, Illinois. William Davis became a railroad worker, and perhaps got his start in that industry in Galesburg, which was a major railroad hub as the railroads expanded west across the Mississippi during that time. And perhaps Martha had family there as well. If Martha was from Ireland, she likely didn't come alone to live with strangers. She possibly had family around.
Thomas E. Brennan lived at Abingdon, near Galesburg, Illinois in the late 1800s. He was also a railroad worker. William Davis remarried to Artie Atkinson in 1870, also in Abingdon. William and Martha may have lived in the same place when Lillian was born. Now, Abingdon isn't a big place, and certainly not in 1870 either, so it doesn't seem likely that Thomas Brennan and Martha Brennan Davis would share a last name and location without being related. But even so, it is just speculation that they were related. But given the lack of actual facts, it is something to go on.
Family trees on Ancestry.com show that Thomas E. Brennan was born 1828 in Freshford, Kilkenny, Ireland to Lawrence and Mary (Butler) Brennan. He had siblings James, Nicholas, Margaret and Mary. But no Martha listed. The lives of Margaret and Mary are documented and they were not Martha. The lives of Nicholas and James are documented as well, and Martha wasn't their widow since they outlived her. Maybe she was a younger and forgotten sibling. Martha was probably born before 1844 to be mother in 1864. Perhaps a little late to be the daughter of Thomas' mother, Mary Butler Brennan, who was born around 1800. So perhaps she was a cousin or a niece. James was older than Thomas and could possibly be Martha's father. He had gone to England. Perhaps Martha came from England. The name Martha sounds more English than Irish as Martha wasn't a very common Irish name. But still just speculation.
I found Martha Brennamon listed in the 1860 census for Locust Grove Township, Jefferson county, Iowa, not far from William Davis. She was listed as a domestic for the Holmes family and her birthplace was shown as Indiana. Census mistakes are made, so maybe she was really from Ireland. But since I haven't found any positive connection to Ireland for her, this is yet another possibility that shouldn't be ignored.
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